Executive Principal of Folkestone Academy suspended

The Executive Principal of both the Folkestone Academy and the Marlowe Academy, Sean Heslop has been suspended as part of a investigation.

The Governors of the Folkestone Academy have made this statement: The Executive Principal of the Folkestone and Marlowe Academies has been suspended from his duties. An investigation is ongoing, the nature of which is confidential. This has not interfered with and will not inhibit the good work going on in the schools, where the respective Head Teachers and their senior leadership teams ensure that teaching and other school activities continue as normal and that school routine is unaffected.

When the idea to replace the former Channel School with the Folkestone Academy was first discussed, the school had fewer than 500 students. Only 8% of students achieved five or more A*-C GCSEs, and it was one of the worst performing schools in England.

The Folkestone Academy opened in September 2007, which in 2009 became an All Age 4-18 Academy. Less than eight years after the Channel School was replaced, the Folkestone Academy has 1900 students (including 420 at Folkestone Primary Academy) and is oversubscribed.

The Academy has succeeded in raising academic performance very significantly. Whilst this remains the principle focus, the school has flourished in a variety of other respects: it has developed a strong reputation for its sports, arts, music and drama activities; it has its own radio station where students take an active part in broadcasting to the wider community; and it has established important links with local community organisations and charities.

In the last two years, the sixth form has benefited from the opening of a new dedicated centre hosting nearly 300 students: since 2009, the Academy has more than doubled the number of pupils going to University. In September 2013 new buildings were completed to accommodate the primary school, where the maximum class size is twenty, together with a kindergarten.

In a survey conducted in November 2014, 96% of parents said they would recommend the Academy to other parents.